Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) Price Target Raised to C$156.00

Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) had its target price upped by National Bankshares from C$153.00 to C$156.00 in a research report released on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on L. CIBC lowered their price target on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$150.00 to C$149.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 23rd. TD Securities increased their price target on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$150.00 to C$160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$130.00 to C$145.00 in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Desjardins increased their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$133.00 to C$148.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$170.00 to C$172.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$153.71.

Loblaw Companies Stock Down 0.5 %

TSE:L opened at C$148.23 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is C$146.32 and its 200-day moving average price is C$131.26. Loblaw Companies has a 1-year low of C$110.52 and a 1-year high of C$154.70. The firm has a market capitalization of C$45.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.73, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 156.41, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.68.

Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported C$2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of C$1.92 by C$0.08. Loblaw Companies had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 18.96%. The firm had revenue of C$14.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$14.58 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Loblaw Companies will post 8.4881297 EPS for the current year.

Loblaw Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st were issued a dividend of $0.446 per share. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. Loblaw Companies’s payout ratio is 27.30%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Senior Officer Frank Gambioli sold 4,603 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$144.00, for a total value of C$662,832.00. In related news, Senior Officer Kieran Barry Columb sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$150.00, for a total transaction of C$1,500,000.00. Also, Senior Officer Frank Gambioli sold 4,603 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$144.00, for a total transaction of C$662,832.00. Insiders sold 71,495 shares of company stock worth $10,547,163 over the last three months. Insiders own 52.69% of the company’s stock.

Loblaw Companies Company Profile

Loblaw Companies Limited, a food and pharmacy company, provides grocery, pharmacy and healthcare services, health and beauty products, apparels, general merchandise, financial services, and wireless mobile products and services in Canada. It operates in two segments, Retail and Financial Services. The Retail segment operates corporate and franchise-owned retail food, and associate-owned drug stores.